Surchoix de Chevre

Switzerland is known primarily for cows, when it comes to dairy animals, but there are many great  goat’s milk cheeses being made there. The Surchoix de Chevre is one such example, and is notable furthermore for being made in an alpine style and format, even more unusual for goat’s milk. Made by Le Petit Chevrier in Lucerne — who describe their products as “Goat’s Milk Cheese that is 100% Swiss” — The Surchoix is made with pasteurized goat’s milk and aged a minimum of 8 months.
 The paste is a pale ivory color, lightly scattered with tyrosine crystals, dense and firm. Flavors are sweet, nutty and slightly gamey, with fruity and grassy alpine notes.

What's Good in the Cheese case right now?

Rustico Black Pepper

This not-quite-hard, pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese comes from the countryside near Rome, in the region of Lazio. The taste is mild and only faintly sheep-y, but whole and halved peppercorns give it a pleasant kick. It make an excellent pizza cheese and is good shaved on vegetables, as a parmesan alternative in risotto, or in an egg sandwich. Yes, it’s a cheap trick to compare prices with Murray’s, but we can’t resist: they charge $15 per pound. At the co-op it’s $7. An unmissable bargain.

Barricato Al Pepe

If the Rustico’s not peppery enough for you… get help, or perhaps try this wonderful cheese from Sergio Moro, best known for longstanding co-op favourites Sottocenere and Piave. He runs a small operation in Veneto, in northern Italy, that gets its milk from tiny family dairies. Barricatto means barrel-aged in Italian – in this case wine barrels that give the hard, buttery cow’s milk cheese a little extra tang. Oh, and it’s covered in crushed pepper. Zing! One for the cheeseboard.

Puits d’Astier

 

This is one of the most spectacular-looking cheeses we’ve seen: a doughnut-shaped wheel with an almost fluorescent yellow rind. It’s hard to believe this is naturally-occurring mould, but it is, a growth lovingly tended by Rodolphe Le Meunier, a young affineur who has already been named a Meullier Ouvrier de France. Only the very best artisans get to wear the red white and blue MOF collars (as anyone who’s seen patisserie documentary Kings Of Pastry would testify). Puits d’Astier is a little pricey, but worth every centime, for its dreamy semi-soft texture and intense, long-lasting flavor.

Queso Sudado

The name of this cheese – sweaty goat – isn’t the most appealing, but don’t let it put you off. It refers to the washed-rind aging process, in which the young cheeses are cured in brine, then aged for between eight days and a month, depending on the season. The result is a strong, full-flavoured goat cheese with a distinctly barnyard-y finish. It would stand up well to a full-bodied, old world red wine with plenty of earth and not too much fruit.

Urdina

 This cheese is a mystery to us, mainly because the label is written in Basque. Your romance languages are no use to you here, friend. But by God, the cheese is tasty. At first glance, it appears to be a blue cheese, but the texture is softer than expected, almost spreadably creamy, and the flavour is notably less strong than Stilton or Roquefort. So, it’s a blue cheese for people who don’t like blue cheese, and a little internet sleuthing reveals that it’s made from sheep’s milk by Ramon Lizeaga Azkue, in the smallest of small batches, somewhere near to a border between France and Spain that he presumably doesn’t recognise as legitimate. A revelation.

Thanksgiving....by the numbers

For the 2 week period ending Sunday 12/1 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving) we sold:

14,000 lbs minimally treated Apples, not including...

5,100 lbs of Honeycrisp

1,948 5lb boxes of Clementines

709 5lb boxes of organic Satsuma Mandarins

13,440 organic Lemons

12,500 Avocados

18,500 lbs of organic Bananas (this 2 week period is always this slow for Bananas-we usually sell over 20,000!)

1,242 packages of organic Cranberries

1,760 packages of conventional Cranberries

6,250 lbs organic Red Seedless Grapes

3,200 lbs organic Baby Salad Greens (all kinds)

2,600 lbs organic Green Beans

4,300 lbs all Brussels Sprouts (and we couldn't get as many as we wanted of any of them)

8,500 lbs of all Carrots

6,500 bunches of all organic Kale 

3,500 lbs all Mushrooms

11,500 lbs all Onions

2,800 bunches all Parsley despite numerous out of stocks due to scarcity

13,700 lbs all organic Potatoes

1,100 lbs organic Pumpkins

5,785 lbs all organic Winter Squash, not including...

2,730 lbs organic Butternut

12,284 lbs all Sweet Potatoes

1,850 lb local organic Heirloom Tomatoes (yes, local-thank you, Hepworth Farms!)

BUTTER & BAKING NEWS

Organic Valley 1-pound butters

(Cultured Un-salted & Salted) are temporarily out-of-stock from our distributor! If our current supply runs out, try their European Style or Pastured Butter. These are organic, same quality product, smaller package (8 oz.).  

Kerrygold Salted Butter: 

There is a global shortage of this beloved Irish grass-fed butter. BUY IT NOW because once our current supply runs out it could be months before we have it again. There is no shortage of the Kerrygold Unsalted, which the Irish Dairy Board suggests is a good substitute for holiday baking. 

Sunrise Family Farms Butter is no longer being made. We are sad to see it go, but we will do our best to bring in a comparable locally-made grass-fed table butter.

Immaculate Baking Pie Crusts!
Back in stock for the Holiday Pie Baking season! Refrigerated -- in the Butter Case.  

Frozen Pie Crusts!
In the Ice Cream Case! Lots & Lots!

New Items--(gluten)FREE Bread Moxy Bach packs and Moxy Croutons.  The latest in fresh-baked gluten free items.  Look for them on the cart next to the egg case. 

Look for all your fresh baked gluten needs on the cart next to the egg case--Amaranth Bakery breads, Whipped Pastry bread and baked goods, Free Bread Company bread and croutons.

How many local items this week?

 This many! ==>

In Other News

After many years of research, we are unable to ascertain the origin of the term "fingerling" potato.

 

 

FREEZER NEWS...

gee whiz, it's been a long time since i've posted anything.

first, a word from one of our suppliers-

INTRODUCING BARRAMUNDI
A relative newcomer to the U.S. market, barramundi is finding a place at high end restaurants and retailers because of its versatility and eco-friendly reputation.
A member of the sea bass family, barramundi is native to Australia’s northern tropical waters and parts of Southeast Asia.
PRODUCT FORM:
Skinless, Boneless Fillets
PRODUCT PROFILE:
Barramundi has a firm, moist texture, large flakes and a sweet buttery flavor.
QUICK PREPARATION SUGGESTIONS:
BAKE – Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush fillets with melted butter or oil and season to taste. Place in greased baking dish and bake for approximately 15 minutes.
GRILL – Pre-heat grill to medium high. Brush fillets with melted butter or oil and season to taste. Grill for 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook 3-4 more minutes.

while i have you, wanted to tell you of a few more things we have now in our freezer and ice cream case-

back by popular demand- northern chef wild shrimp!

Organic Nectars ice cream (we used to carry this and it was super expensive) is back. it's now called Cashewtopia. We have vanilla, chocolate, chocolate hazelnut and pistachio. its also less expensive.

So Delicious Sugar free Vanilla coconut ice cream and Almond milk ice cream cherry amaretto.

Zoe's Premium Dog Food will be taking a hiatus- they are expanding so we may not get any until november december.

Gabe the Fish Babe will also be taking a break. I believe they are in the middle of expanding as well. Its return is TBD.

Stay tuned for more new products in both cases. hoping to be back sooner than later.

Tangerines in July?!

That's right!  We have a strong supply of delicious late harvest Murcott and Pixie tangerines from Sundance Organics in California to help you stave off those midsummer colds.  They are sweet and easy to peel.  A great addition to picnics and beach bags.

BOBO FARM CHICKENS ARE BACK!!!

They finally got the new packing machinery up and running, so – after a five-month absence -- everybody’s favorite FEET-ON chickens are back in the Coop!

DINES FARMS CHICKEN PARTS ARE BACK!!!

The upstate floodwaters have receded, and we can once again offer these super-fresh small-farm boneless breasts and thighs!  Same great price!  Same great taste!

What is that melon thing by the cucumbers?

- Melon Tondo - 

This is an Italian Cucumber that when picked young is a Cucumber and when picked larger (like Hepworth Farms did) has a Melon consistency and Melon Cucumber taste.  It is delicious and refreshing.  It is NOT a sweet HoneyDew....it is a crazy delicious organic Cucumber!

Blue Moon Acres local spring mix

Spring has arrived, and with it our renewed support of Blue Moon Acres.  We have been enjoying their local Spring Mix for the last couple of years (coming from Albert's Organics), but now are happy to buy directly.  Blue Moon Acres is a family owned and run operation providing some of the best Spring Mix we see throughout the year.  Below are a few words from Rebecca (of Blue Moon) on what makes it so delicious:

"We devote so much thought and energy into crafting a healthy soil evironment for the greens to grow in, as soil itself is literally the bed from which the greens grow....We've updated the blend that is Blue Moon Acres Spring Mix 2013.  You'll notice more volume and color as well as a much broader array of greens than in past years (11 different greens total.)"

Produce notes from Allen.....74 local items

On Wednesday morning (remember how hard it rained?) we received 1,830 cases of produce costing $54,028.  We are just barely into the local season but 602 of these cases came from local farms.

We also received a remarkable 265 cases of organic strawberries today, about half of the total that we need for this week (Happy Mother's Day!). The number is remarkable in that there is a strawberry shortage this week and our primary supplier could only offer 2 or 3 cases per day. Most of us have already heard about the wildfires in California.

Here is a link that shows how this is affecting the strawberry harvest:

http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=108810

Allen Zimmerman - Produce Buyer - General Coordinator

Ginger notes 4/29/13

In the 4/19/13 produce notes we forecast that Peruvian ginger would return for May.  It's April 29th and Peruvian ginger returned today, a little early.

Produce notes from Allen......61 local items!

Items ending:

• Organic Black Grapes-the season for southern hemisphere organic grapes is over. Mexican and California seasons begin mid-May.
• Nappa Cabbage will gap for a few weeks
• Organic Green Beans are scarce so we brought in conventional.  When Organic Green Bean supplies become more abundant, we will discontinue the loose conventional and the pre-bagged organic.
• The new crop of Sweet Organic Onions out of Texas has already ended for now.  We will wait for the next new crop sweet organic onion.

"New crop" refers to the first harvests of the year.  Unless they are imported from the southern hemisphere, the Potatoes and Onions we eat all winter and spring have been stored since last fall.  The new crop items this week are:

• Sweet Vidalia Onions from Georgia
• 3 pound bags of Onions
• Organic Red Potato

Coming Monday (we hope!):

• Red Bananas return
• Organic Florida Blueberries
• Organic Peaches from Mexico
• If we are lucky, maybe a couple of hours supply of Hawaiian Ginger

From Chesapeake Organics:

• Mustards
• Green and Red Kale
• Scallions
• Spinach
• Organic Florida Corn

"Mandarin" is the family of citrus that includes Tangerines, Clementines, Satsumas and some of the hybrids that include Mandarins in their parentage.  A hybrid of a Tangerine and Orange is known as a Tangor.  Some hybrids occur in nature, as did the Temple Orange, discovered in Jamaica in the 1890's.  As we near the end of the Mandarin season we offer:

Mandarin Murcott of unknown parentage but likely a hybrid of the Honey Tangerine and a Sweet Orange.  The Honey Tangerine used to be known as the Honey Murcott, but that name was shortened and the name "Murcott" lives on in the Mandarin.  This late season offering is very sweet, not that juicy, and rich in flavor.

 

Orri Mandarin comes from Israel and is a cross between a Temple Orange and a fancy Tangerine.  It is easy to peel, very sweet and juicy.  Small orange citrus that are easy to peel, sweet and juicy are often packed in 5 pound boxes and sold as clementines, but we know better and call them Orri Mandarins. 

 

Allen Zimmerman - Produce Buyer - General Coordinator

What happened to the ginger?

The answer begins in China, whose Ginger we do not buy.

Over the last couple of years, China has had huge harvests of Ginger.  The vast quantities kept the prices low which made it hard for the rest of the world's producers to compete.  It also held down the profitability for the Chinese producers. Their plan was to reduce production this year to help them raise their prices, and some farmers had already chosen to plant more profitable crops.

When Ginger is harvested, it is typically cured for one or two months.  This aging and drying process is used to improve the quality, the retention of flavor and the shelf life.  It allows the Ginger to be brought to market over a longer period of time, avoiding a glut and surfeit cycle.  This practice allows us to have access to "fresh" Ginger year round and fosters the illusion that Ginger does not have only seasonal availability.

China experienced unseasonably cold temperatures this past winter which led to a reduction in the size of the expected crop, beyond the amount reduced by fewer plantings.  This cold weather delayed the washing and drying process for months and during this extended storage more of the Ginger was lost to decay.  All of this added stress to the supply of Ginger from other parts of the world.

We are at the end of the Hawaiian harvest.  For the last few weeks we have only been able to obtain about a tenth of our need.  The conventional Brazilian harvest and the organic Peruvian harvest typically arrive in the USA at some point in May.  We don't know exactly when and we don't know how supplies and prices will be affected.  We still don't know when we will see Ginger again, but now you know why.

A peek at a few produce tidbits and fun facts.

This morning between 5:30 and 8:30 we received 29 pallets of organic produce, about 1600 cases, more than 20 tons.

This week, on Monday and Tuesday we sold 93 cases of Bananas weighing 3,700 pounds

This week, on Monday and Tuesday we sold 125 case of Strawberries, 1,000 cups

Monday and Tuesday 41 cases of Kales or 984 bunches. (no kale wars here, Daily News)

On Tuesday alone we sold 35 cases of Haitian Mangos

Like babies.........280 lbs worth?

- Baby Turnip -

- Baby Tatsoi -

- Baby Mizuna -

- Baby Cress -

 - Baby Bok Choy -

- Baby Lacinato Kale -

- Baby Yu Choi Sum -

- Baby Purple Kale -

 

- Premium Mix -

*1 mushroom was harmed in the making of these photos.*

Produce notes from Allen.....55 local items!

Odds and ends, comings and goings in the produce aisle:

The season has recently ended for:

·      Local Stayman Winesap and Pink Lady Apples, and the quality is gone from the organic Granny Smith.

·      Butternut Squash (that is the storage crop from last fall) 

·      South American Blueberries

·      Sumo citrus (Dekopon) and soon Pomellos

·      Organic Green Grapes quality has faded. The report on the next batch, which we will not buy, was "3% mold, 4% amber, 12% loosened Grapes"... and then I stopped listening

Grab an excellent deal on the end of the season Hepworth Farms Gold Potatoes!

Some gaps in supply:

·      Raspberry price went loony and supply tightened so we dropped out for a week or two.

·      Blackberries became scarce

·      Artichokes are not even listed in organic offerings to us. Conventional prices are either very high or "offerings insufficient to quote"

·      Green Beans were severely damaged by frost and available at high prices, in fine quality and absurd bags

·      Organic Ginger is very scarce. We are buying every pound of Peruvian and Hawaiian available to us and not buying any from China

·      Organic Turmeric is very scarce. Even though we have managed to buy a huge percentage of the stock from the company that imports it, we can't get enough. Turmeric has two r's in the spelling. If you insist on pronouncing it "toomeric", you can't have any.

·      The Mexican organic Mango has season has only barely started and we have had limited supplies of the Haden and Tommy Atkins varieties. We found some Haitian organic Francis Type Mangos and hope for better supplies next week.

·      The southern California Broccoli harvest is winding down and the more northern harvest isn't there yet. Even at higher prices we couldn't get enough and are supplementing with some of the conventionally grown crop. 

·      Cauliflower may not gap but price is starting to climb.

New or returning soon:

·      South American Bosc Pears

·      Fava Beans for Karen Mancuso and everyone else

·      Turmeric-a half week supply (we hope)

·      Raspberries

·      Organic Black Grapes with seeds 

·      Jerusalem Artichokes. We have been waiting for the spring thaw to allow our local farmers to dig up the "wintered over" crop

·      Ramps - This deep freeze has delayed much new growth.  Last spring was really warm!  We probably won't see any ramps for at least another couple of weeks.

·      Nettles – Soon!  Maybe next week.

Here are the coming attractions from Hepworth Farms over the next couple of weeks:

We are seeding lots of cut greens tomorrow in our tunnels and expect to have LOTS of Baby Arugula, Asian Greens and Mustard in 21 days.  I wanted to give you a heads up -

we are planting the following beds of:

Mustard Mix	Garnet Giant, Golden Frill, Green Wave,Purple Osaka, Red Giant, Ruby Steaks
Asian Green Mix	Purple Mizuna, Mibuna, Komatsuna,White Stemmed Pac Choy, Vivid Choi, Tat Soi, Prize Choy Pach Choy, Yukina Savoy, Mizuna, Shanghai , Red Choi
Asian Greens	Yu Choy Sum, Red Choi, TatSoi
Arugula	Surrey Greens

We also have others greens already seeded and you will be getting:

Red Russian, Pac Choi, Tat Soi, Mizuna, Premium Mix, Yukina Savoy, Collards, Cress and Beet Greens (they are a bit slower maybe next week) in smaller quantities than will be available in 21 days!